Acetylene-generator.



F; L. H. SIMS. AOETYLBNE GENERATOR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 1 1913.

1,100,625, Patented June 16, 191i 2 SHEETS-$111131 1.

WITNESBES: 6 INVENTOR.

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ACETYLENE GENERATOR. 1 APPLICATION FILED JULY 1I 1913. 1 100 625. v Patented June 16, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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FREDERICK L. H. SIMS, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

ACETYLENE-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed July 1, 1913. Serial No. 776,811.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. H. SIMS, of the city of Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene- Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to acetylene generators of the carbid-to-water type and my object is to devise an effective generator entirely without the use of valves or other movable parts controlling the flow of carbid.

I attain my object by arranging the carbid chamber of the generator so that the carbid is fed by the tilting of the said chamber on an aXis either real or imaginary and by arranging the generator so that the dis placement of water therein by the generated gas tends to tilt the carbid chamber to stop the feed and conversely the replacement of gas by water tends to tilt the said chamber to feed carbid substantially as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing the preferred form of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the platform removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modification and Fig. 4t is a side elevation of a modified form of float.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

While this apparatus is intended particularly for marine beacons such as gas buoys, it will be understood that the principle of construction is available for use on shore as a suitable tank takes the place of the water in which a gas buoy is moored.

1 is a carbid chamber preferably of spherical form with a tubular outlet 2. This carbid chamber is tiltably supported. Preferably the chamber is provided with trunnions 3 journaled on bearings 4 which bearings may be located on a stationary structure or on floats, such as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The float shown in Fig. 2 is of catamaran construction comprising two cylindrical chambers 5 connected by a framework 6. The carbid chamber is journaled close to one of the chambers which is of greater capacity than the other. The main function of the smaller chamber being to balance the float structure. Much the same effect is obtained by using a single chamber float such as 7 illustrated in Fig. 4: instead of a two chamber float, the chamber adjacent the bearing being made of greater depth than at the side remote therefrom.

Instead of turning on a real axis, as in the constructions shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4:, the carbid chamber may be arranged to tilt on an imaginary axis as shown in Fig. 3. In this form the carbid chamber is secured to a float 8 near one edge thereof. This float is of substantially the same depth throughout its width so that as the carbid chamber is secured near one edge tilting will take place about the center of buoyancy of the system. The carbid chamber has its outlet so arranged that when the chamber is tilted to a given position, dependent on the angle of repose of the carbid employed, the carbid will be fed from the outlet. Preferably the outlet 2 is provided with a throat plate 9 set back from the lip of the outlet and extended part way toward the bottom thereof. This throat plate is so arranged that the carbid may lie at its angle of repose between the underside of the throat plate and the lip of the outlet. In this way the carbid chamber may be filled to the top without danger of carbid escaping until the chamber is tilted to such an angle that the line joining the underside of the throat plate and the lip of the outlet intersects the angle of repose of the carbid relative to a horizontal plane, when the carbid will feed freely through the throat.

The tilting of the chamber is effected through the medium of the generator chamber 10 which is suitably secured to the outlet of the carbid chamber with a gas tight joint. When gas is generated by contact of the carbid with water in the generator chamber, gas is generated forcing down the water level in the chamber which then has a tendency to float up and tilt the carbid chamber to cause a cessation of the carbid feed. As the gas in the chamber is withdrawn 'for use, the water level in the generator chamber rises and its buoyancy decreases. The carbid chamber is then tilted to cause a further feed of the carbid. By a repetition of these movements a continuous generation ofacetylene is maintained. To insure the necessary changes in the buoyancy of the generating chamber and to prevent its lower end being elevated above the surface of the water, it is preferable to bend the generator chamber intermediate its ends, the bend being downwardly so that the lower part of the generator chamber is normally substan tially vertical as shown in Fig. 1.

To prevent the carbid falling through the generator chamber before it has completely reacted with the water to form acetylene, I provide aseries of battle plates 11 alternately projecting from the under and lower sides of the upper part of the generating chamber. These hold back the carbid until it is completely converted into lime, while the sludge is continually washed out by the rise and fall of the water within the generator chamber.

L To enable the carbid chamber to be charged I provide it with a suitable manhole pro vided with a manhole cover 13 of ordinary construction and held in place in the usual manner This manhole is located at that part of the carbid chamber which is substantially at the highest point when the carbid vchamber is in the nonfeed position. As the generator chamber would lose all its buoyancy as soon as the manhole was opened, it is necessary to provide means for holding the parts in proper charging position when the manhole cover is taken off. For this purpose I provide the chain 14 secured to the generator chamber and to the frame 6. By hauling on this chain the generator chamber may be raised and held raised by engaging the chain 1 1 with the hook 15 secured to the platform 12 supported on the frainefi. As soon as the carbid chamber is filled and the manhole cover replaced the chain may be disengaged. The apparatus isrthen in condition for service. The acetylene is readily led off for use in the beacon (not shown) by .means of a pipe 16 led into or out of rotating parts.

.7 The float when the device is in useas a gas buoy, will be anchored in any suitable manner such features forming no part of the; present invention.

This device is well adapted for gas buoys for v stationary beacons located on piers, wharves or other waterside structures and may also be adapted for use on land as hereinbefore setyforth.

What I claim as my invention is The combination of a tiltably supported carbidehamber having a carbid outlet through which carbid will pass on the tilting of the chamber to a predetermined angle; and a generating chamber tiltable with the carbid chamber having a rigid gas tight connection with the outlet of the carbid chamber and extending to one side of the center on which the carbid chamber tilts.

2. The combination of a tiltably supported carbid chamber having a carbid outlet through which carbid will pass on the tilt ing of the chamber to a predetermined angle; and a generating chamber tiltable with the carbid chamber having a rigid gas tight connection with the outlet of the carbid chamber and extending to one side of the center on which the carbid chambertilts, said generating chamber having a downward bend formed therein intermediate its ends.

3. The combination of a tiltably supported carbid chamber having a carbid outlet through which carbid will pass on the tilting of the chamber to a predetermined angle; a generating chamber tiltable with the carbid chamber having a rigid gas tight connection with the outlet of the carbid chamber and extending to one side of the center on which the carbid chamber tilts; and alternately arranged baffle plates located in said generating chamber.

4. The combination of a tiltably supported carbid chamber having a tubular outlet located at one side of the center on which the chamber tilts; a throat plate within the tubular outlet extending from the upper side of the outlet tube toward the lower side to form a throat back of the lip of the outlet tube; and a generating chamber having a rigid gas tight connection with the outlet of the carbid chamber and extending to one side of the center on which the carbid chamber tilts.

5. The combination of a tiltably supported carbid chamber having a carbid outlet. through which carbid will pass on the tilting of the chamber to a predetermined angle; a generating chamber having an through one of the trunnions in a manner common where gases or fluids are to be led operating connection with the carbid chamber; and a body of water in which said generating chamber is more or less immersed dependent on the volume of gas in the chamber, whereby the carbid chamber is correspondingly tilted.

6. In acetylene gas buoys the combination of a float and carbid chamber so connected and proportioned that the chamber is tiltably suported when the apparatus is floated in water; and a generating chamber having a rigid gas tight connection with the outlet of the carbid chamber and extending to one side of the center on which the carbid chamber tilts.

7. In acetylene gas buoys the combination of a float and carbid chamber so connected chamber tilts; and means for locking the and proportioned that the chamber is tilttiltable parts to the float. ably supported When the apparatus is floated Toronto, this 26th day of June, 1913.

in Water; a generating chamber having a FREDERICK L. H. SIMS. rigid gas tight connection with the outlet Signed in the presence ofof the carbid chamber and extending to D. S. TovnLL,

one side of the center on Which the carbid E. P. HALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

